TOLEDO--The children of Toledo St. Patrick of Heatherdowns raised more than $5,800 for Honor Flight and other charities during the 2010-11 academic year.

During an all-school Mass March 17, recipients from Honor Flight were on hand to receive the largest gift of $2,960.

Children from the entire parish community contribute weekly to the Joyful Noise Collection, a coin collection taken up during every weekend Masses. Each fiscal quarter, the funds from this collection are split and tithed to the parish and one charitable organization. The charitable groups were selected by a vote of all children registered in the school and the parish religious education program. This vote is taken each fall and children are asked to choose two organizations with local impact and two organizations that address global needs.

Lee Armstrong, Honor Flight president thanks Toledo St. Patrick of Heatherdowns students for their donation during an all-schoo Mass. Other Honor Flight representatives were, from left, David W. Chilson and Beth Emery and with Jack Altenburger, interim principal Jack Altenburger at St. Patrick of Heatherdowns. (Photo courtesy of St. Patrick of Heatherdowns)

This year's recipients include:
• TeamUnite, a cancer research organization formed in memory of Alexa Brown of Clyde, received $229.31.
• The Red Cross received $198 in memory of the anniversary of the devastation in Haiti.
• Sea Shepherd, an organization working to rescue wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico, is to receive a tithe in April 2011.
• The Red Cross is to receive the collection tithe from April through June 30, 2011, in memory of the anniversary of the tornados that struck Lucas and Wood Counties in June 2010.
• St. Patrick of Heatherdowns has received $427 from this collection since July 2010 for parish needs.

A fourth fundraising initiative began in February 2009 when students made a $5,000 pledge to Heifer, International that would allow them to purchase an “ark-full” of animals for the organization, which amounts to the purchase of two of each type of animal available for Heifer, International sponsorship. This school year, $2,004.48 was raised, bringing the to-date total to $4,781 toward this goal.